Under Eye Circles: THE WORKS

Posted on March 18, 2016

After all these years and all the millions of questions about those pesky under eyes I think its time to just put all my cards out on the table and let the chips fall!

I will say quickly before I start that there has been many many times I’ve seen women who are in desperate need for help with their “terrible” dark circles and I can’t help looking at her thinking “But they are so pretty! It looks like natural eye shadow!” Seriously. It’s so easy to think they are so much worse than they really are. So do what you can and then don’t stress, cause stress makes them worse anyway:)

As a long time under eye peskiness survivor I have a lot to offer on the subject so let’s just get right into it!

First of all we want to avoid them from happening if at all possible!

These are all pretty self explanatory and I’m guessing it’s not the first time you’ve heard any of it but it’s still worth noting. I know that If I’ve eaten a lot of sugar + soda one day I will have some serious bags the next. In fact any time I drink a soda I have a rule that I have to “drown” it will 3 gasses of water the same size. It seems to help with the potential dehydration headaches too. Two birds.

Next we need to discuss the difference kinds of under eye situations you could be dealing with:

Excuse that I made her look a little extreme, I just wanted to show off the difference as clearly as possible:) A lot of the time when we talk about under eye issues we group them into one problem when it’s usually one of two problems or a mixture of both.

Dark circles & puffiness below your eye or “under eye bags”

Most of the time the causes go hand in hand but the fixes can be quite different. So I’ll be sure to be specific on which one is which below.

But it’s also important to note that they aren’t always avoidable. For many of us they are hereditary and can naturally become more prominent with age.

Cucumbers/teabags: Cooled and rested on the eyes for 5-15 minutes. These are natural de-puffers and REALLY help get rid of that “Are you tired?” edge.

Teamine: As far as eye creams go this one is BY FAR the best I’ve ever used for both darkness and puffiness. It makes a NOTICEABLE difference and is well worth getting. I use a touch of it below my eyes before bed. One jar goes a long way.

Injectables: Here’s my whole post on my experience with using filler below my eyes on my upper cheek to even out my hereditary under eye bags . I know it’s not something everyone is open to for various reasons and I totally understand and support that. I have really loved my experience so I feel like it is worth sharing. Often times when people use injectables they don’t share about it because it’s somewhat controversial which is too bad because that leaves most of us are left in the dark on what our options are. It IS expensive but the Bellafill I used lasts 3-5 years so once you do it you won’t have to worry about it for a loooong time. Of course, it is more invasive than anything topical so if you do go that route be vigilant in getting it done by someone you trust.

The final step is makeup.

For dark circles: 95% of the time I just use the IIID Foundation highlight on clients to brighten up and cover the darkness. It’s yellow undertone is fantastic for covering and cutting the dark side. If the color is a deep dark that looks ashy or won’t cover with that I first layer on a bright orange concealer then I use the highlight foundation over top. That balances things out wonderfully.

For under eye bags: I use IIID foundation or highlighting concealer in a pie peice from the inner corner of the eye to the ouster corner and down the side of the nose. That tends to level off the whole area which softens the look of the puffiness. IF you still see a heavy line below the puffiness a trick I love is taking a highlighting pencil or a fine brush and concealer and drawing right on the exact line. Then take a beauty blender and lightly blend. It definitely helps lift and diminish that shadow.

I am planning a troubleshooting post to accompany this so please share any extra questions you have below!
And have the most lovely weekend!!

53 Comments

Melody

Cami

March 18, 2016 at 6:40 am

This is wonderful! I’ve been wondering how to conceal my undereye issues and have been trying a few different cheaper products. It’s helping a little, but I wonder if it’s my lack of technique or the makeup itself. I’ve read about using the color wheel to determine what color of concealor to use vs the color of the dark undereye circles. Do you go by this? Is there merit to this method? I look forward to your tutorial on this subject!

Christine

I for sure need help covering up dark circles and your IIID foundation works wonders. My other issue is that the skin under my eyes tends to get dry and the concealer and foundation cakes in there. I use an under eye cream (and sometimes a salve or balm if it’s really bad) at night, but when I use it in the morning, I don’t feel like my make up blends as well!

Susan

March 18, 2016 at 9:35 pm

I love all your posts and video tutorials! I was wondering if you could incorporate more videos using other models? Not because I don’t love seeing your beautiful face, but I just feel it’s so easy to make you look good! Haha! But seriously, this might be a good time to grab someone with those dark circles and show us your magic. Also have thought this would be great with your HAC tutorials. I liked the different sketches/photos of different face shapes but it would be cool to see you apply the makeup on those different faces.

Tiffany

March 19, 2016 at 7:07 am

My question is the same as another poster’s..what to do about under eye crepeiness. Luckily I typically don’t have shadows or bags, but I avoid putting any makeup at all under my eyes as I feel it just settles in. 🙁

LisaP

March 19, 2016 at 11:48 am

Yay, thank you!! I have SUCH dark circles; I’m blonde/green/fairish, with see-through lashes, so I swear they’re the darkest thing on my face! AND, fun bonus, even when I feel I have concealed them, the circles just eat that makeup up and come back in short order. The rest of my makeup is fine, just there. JOY, ha!

In the past I’ve tried a yellow concealer and an apricot-y concealer, but I may have to go full-on unto bright orange now that I know that’s a thing!

I will say though, since I got my new Aura I have been noticed that a little dabbed full strength right on the purpliest part of my undereye has helped a LOT. Anyone who’s used the new formula knows that stuff is STRONG before blending! I love it.

CR

March 20, 2016 at 2:54 pm

Thank you so much for this post and being honest about injectibles! I’ve suffered my whole life dark, intense undereye circles and probably spent thousands of dollars on concealer. It’s so embarassing, time-consuming, and I can’t wait to try Bellafill! Did you have any bumpy-ness after you used it? I’ve done natural lip fillers before, and sometimes they caused little bumps, so I’m a tad worried about that on my face.

Nilda

March 21, 2016 at 3:41 pm

I have the WORST dark circles, I’m not lying, they are dark brown, almost black. I’s not a rest thing or not plenty of water, my skin is darker in that zone. My upper eye lids are dark brown to. I’ve tried Bobbi Brown corrector in dark peach and dark bisque, and bobi brown concealer on top (in natural and warm natular, all the shades were advice from the makeup artists), but still look greyish and creases a lot. I’ve tried Mac Prolongwear c ncealer in NC42, and now I’m using Mac Studio conceal and correct duo, in rich yellow and burnt coral, I mix the two colors. It helps, but can’t avoid and cover the orange color that left in the apples of my cheeks. I wish I coud try IIID foundation, but I live so, so far away… (I live in Chile).
Anyway, same as another poster, it would be great if you could do a tutorial in a model with really, super dark under eye circles. Thanks for all of your beauty tips. xoxo

Amber Herron

March 21, 2016 at 9:08 pm

As an aesthetician I swear by Teamine Eye Cream from Revision Skincare! This stuff is amazing for dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines around the eyes. All of their products are fantastic and I have been using them for many years! Definitely worth the money and one jar lasts months even when using the product morning and night as suggested.

Bridget

Nancy

March 21, 2016 at 9:22 pm

Cara, thanks for the post! I was wondering if the injectable procedure is painful? I think that stops me from even considering and what person would be qualified to do them. I’ll start searching in my area.
Anyway, thanks for sharing!

julent

Ann

May 20, 2016 at 11:12 am

I suffer from the same problem and from what I’ve been researching (but haven’t taken the plunge yet)… the injections are the only thing that works. The hollowing is thinning the skin causing the darkness on it to be more prominent and simultaneously it causes more shadow as well (can’t really get rid of a shadow with makeup.) For finding a doctor, it seems RealSelf might be the place to research as you can see their other patients. I’ve seen the option for “fat injections” from your own fat which is supposedly permanent and the most safe and then Cara’s recommended one lasting years seems like another good option. Basically the idea is the injections are replacing the fat that’s diminished.

Hope this helps. I know it’s frustrating and scary when your only option is injections. It actually makes me feel better that Cara posted all this and when she did the first time, I didn’t even know about it being an option. All this is research I’ve been doing since then.

Tricia

Sheri

March 23, 2016 at 8:09 pm

I specifically went to your site in search of color correcting! To go the correcting route, how would you apply your regular makeup with the color correcting concealer? over your foundation and under your concealer/highlighter? Thank you, Cara!

Laurel

March 23, 2016 at 10:34 pm

Help, Cara! I can cover up my dark circles (color wise) pretty easily, but I have these weird bumps under my eyes mid way between the side of my nose and my lower lash line, about an inch long. They aren’t noticeable if I don’t wear makeup but when I wear foundation it draws attention to the bumps and the most unflattering texture. I don’t know what the bumps are or how to get rid of them. Any suggestions? IM DESPERATE. Theyre like little tiny white zits that wont ever go away.

Lynda

Jen

March 30, 2016 at 10:27 am

I just have to thank you for being so open about the injectables. I also have hereditary circles and bags and was hoping for a more permanent solution. Do you go to a doctor for these or a medical spa? Also, do you have any recommendations on somewhere to get this done in NY or NJ?

Nanette

Christa

April 7, 2016 at 6:46 am

Cara, I cannot wait for a tutorial for this. A previous commenter suggested using several different models and I think that could be really helpful. I’m one of those that nothing has ever worked for. I’ve kind of given up trying honestly but I’m willing to give it another go. When I use sunlit, white peach or linen under my eyes once in a blue moon it looks good but usually it settles in there and my circles are just a bit lighter but somehow accentuated. Does that make sense? So now I apply makeup there half the time and half the time I don’t. Lol. Anyway really looking forward to this tutorial!

Ann

May 20, 2016 at 11:54 am

Just to add some extra information for anyone that’s researching injections or other methods (I have been researching but made no decisions yet), here’s a bunch of doctors talking about what they do: https://www.realself.com/question/non-surgical-treatment-undereye-bags and there’s videos of procedures too (including the injections which you can see the difference immediately on and that one is the “hollowed eyes”.)

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About Me

Hi! I'm Cara.

I'm the founder and creator of Maskcara Beauty. I live in Southern Utah with my husband and three boys and one girl. (We’re a foster family!) When I’m not being a mom, I’m a makeup artist, beauty blogger and business owner. I created Maskcara to share my love of beauty.

I believe that most women are twice as pretty as they give themselves credit for inside and out, I’m on a mission to change that.